Shipping any kind of freight can be a super intricate task. Even more so when it’s specialized freight that needs transporting. Whether it’s oversized or overweight machinery, hazardous materials, fragile and or extremely expensive goods then there’s an extra added layer of care and regulations involved throughout the entire shipment process. We will take you through a step-by-step guide of what goes into shipping your specialized goods, so you can prepare and plan accordingly for your cargo’s upcoming journey.

What Qualifies as Specialized Freight? 🤔

There are a ton of different items that would be considered a specialized shipment, such as freight that requires special handling and extra precautionary steps throughout the transportation. Here are some common cases where the shipment would be deemed as specialized freight:

High-Value Items 💰

Freight that requires extra insurance and security throughout shipping because it’s extremely expensive. No matter how big or small.

Fragile Shipments 🫗

Any sort of item/s that needs specialized handling and extra protective packaging, because of the items vulnerability to damages, like scuffs, scratches, dents or chips.

Hazmat (Hazardous Goods) ☣️

Any substance or material that endangers personal health, safety and/or poses a threat to the environment. These substances have strict regulations set by governing bodies.

Temperature Controlled Goods 🌡

Items that require the strict temperature control throughout the entire journey, whether that’s warm or cool. This could be because it’s perishable goods, pharmaceuticals or anything that might deteriorate in temperatures outside of their norm.

Oversized, Over-dimensional and/or Overweight 🏋️‍♀️

Cargo that exceeds the weight and dimensional limits of normal freight and requires extra equipment and handling as a result.

Why Standard Shipping Just Won’t Cut It 👎

Standard shipping methods are fantastic when they’re used on the cargo types it’s designed for, e.g. toys, sporting goods and tools. However, when you need that extra attention to detail and require specialized methods of transportation and special handling techniques just like the types of cargo listed above, then it’s time to look beyond the basics.

Because standard carriers might not possess the equipment, knowledge or the permits required to move your specialized freight. So, investing in specialized shipping is something that should not be overlooked (sometimes the choice will be out of your hands too, if we’re talking HUGE, heavy freight, hazardous or temperature controlled then there’s no other options to move your goods essentially).

Step-By-Step Guide to Shipping Specialized Freight 🚚

So, let’s take a look at what sets specialized shipping apart from your regular shipment methods and take a look into the step-by-step process of shipping your specialized freight…

Step 1 – Packaging & preparation of your cargo 📦

Let’s start right at the beginning. The correct and protective packaging of your freight is a crucial step. We highly recommend investing in high-quality packaging like cushioned layers and supporting straps, custom-built pallets and crates, and this next one might sound obvious right? but bubble wrap. However, there’s more to it than that, make sure you choose the correct size bubble 😅, smaller bubbles mean more protection against scuffs and scratches, and bigger bubbles protect more against impact 🫧.

Another super important step is appropriately labelling your freight. We won’t bore you and go into too much detail here, as we’ve already written another blog around this topic called: 8 Tips To Keep Your Freight Safe During Transit. But long story short, you’ll want to label your cargo if it’s:

• Fragile
• Hazardous
• Needs to be kept dry
• Needs protection from heat
• Needs to be placed a certain way up
• Delicate and cannot be stacked
• Perishable

Note 1* You can never over label your freight, make sure you write or use stickers on every side of the box or crate it’s packaged in (if necessary).

Step 2 – Find the perfect carrier for you 🚛

When choosing a carrier, be sure to look for one that has a vast network and can handle super-tough consignments. Research their capabilities, read reviews on their services, check what certifications they possess and learn what will come included in their service.

Step 3 – Calculating your quote 🧮

It’s super important that you provide your carrier with as much accurate information regarding your specialized shipment as possible including, weight, dimensions, contents, destination and hazard class (if applicable). Due to the nature of your shipment being specialized, your carrier will calculate a custom quote.

Note 2* Don’t forget to take into consideration the additional insurance quote into your costings, if you choose to go down that route!

Step 4 – Regulations, documents & permits 📃

Your carrier will most likely advise and assist you with all of the appropriate paperwork needed for your load that we’re about to mention in this section, but it’s always important to understand the specific regulations, documentation and permits that apply to your cargo type and route to the destination. However, some documentation will need to be completed/signed by you (the shipper) like, packing lists and invoices.

Step 5 – Schedules & coordination 📆

Determine your schedules in advance and arrange your pick-up and drop-off locations along with a time frame withy our carrier. They will know the best routes for your shipments to get them to their destination on time. They will use different equipment and software to optimize routes, which again we’ve run through in another blog that you can check out here ➡: How to Ensure Great Route Optimization at this stage you’ll also go through specific handling requirements and any other special needs you might have for your freight.

Step 6 – Tracking your shipments 👩‍💻

Most carriers will have the functionality to provide you with real-time updates on your loads. We know we do 😊. If you’re worried about any of your loads whereabouts you can simply check the live tracker or contact your carrier and simply ask, where’s my freight at?

Your carrier will already be tracking the progress of all shipments on the roads anyway, so they can make on-the-fly decisions, to re-route and avoid potential delays. So you’ll know exactly when your cargo will be arriving at its’ destination.

How Can PEI Help? 😄

We hope you’ve learned just one thing from today’s blog and now have a better understanding of what goes into shipping your precious special shipments. When you do your research, deeply plan, get expert help from your carrier and work on tailored solutions together, you eliminate the stress around these kind of loads.

Are you ready to move your specialized freight? We have all of the expert knowledge, equipment and resources to handle your loads with the utmost care and attention to detail!

Get in touch with us on :Phone: 888-SHIP-911 or use the link below for a friendly, no strings attached chat to see how we can optimize your shipping process 😊

 

 

Need help with any of your specialized shipments?

At PEI we’re experts in dealing with specialized freight and can handle yours with any custom requirements.